2SSFA - 'Timeless' by K Rajagopal

Moments of human connections are seamlessly melded together, blurring the lines between history and the present reality. History as we know it, is commonly enshrouded in a aura of grandeur and mysticism. Yet, it is written by humans and driven by humanly motivations just you and I are capable of. 'Timeless' by K Rajagopal humanises and normalises history and even suggests a few deviations.

Told through 4 different time periods, it is really a film about the frailty of human connections. Antagonism turns sexual urge. A sense of solace turns into passion which then evaporates in a flash of an awakening. In each of the episodes, Siva (which is also the actor's name) appears interacting with the characters in different states of existence but in the same temperament. But in each of the situations, fear consumes him and he walks away. In the 1875 episode where the murder of J Birch took place, sensing trouble on his master's, Siva chooses to walk away from duty. In the 1969 racial rioting episode, Siva watches helplessly as an aggressor threatens to the take the life of a young girl. In a more recent episode, Siva is both a saviour and deserter. Or perhaps, it's just about being alienated from everything else.

Rajagopal's works typically stem from an emotional state rather than a concept or a story. Sensitive in his grasp of the the interactions and fluid in his protrayal, his works often present a interesting duality about the human condition - that we can be so primeval and yet complex. You can tell that Raja's approach is highly intuitive. Yet, in the randomness and formlessness, it imparts a wisdom about behaviour. I would even draw an analogy that they amount some kind of soft porn with added weight of considering the characters' mental states. It is very tactile yet the emotions run deep.

Finally, another crucial part of the 'Timeless' equation is the visual texture and effective use of the water motif. There is a discernible affinity to nature in the film with the use of the forest as a background, the organic feel to the 'colouring' and of course, human nudity. (The nudity here is an even bigger visual statement with the deliberate 'colour-contrasting' of darker Indian skin tones again white zen like furniture and bed.) While aesthetic in its use, they seem to allude to the evergreen nature of human behaviour and how we are gripped by the same fears and insecurities regardless of time or era.